She was ticked.

Every line of her frame spoke displeasure. The ripple of muscle tight beneath her black coat as she moved forward, once paced stride at a time, into a area of forsaken mist. Lovely. Perfect. Stripes on the freaking zebra. Claws were slightly extended and lightly sliced the earth beneath her paws with each step. Wounds were on her body, cleaning and healing...self treated...but still nasty enough to call for caution in her movements. But it was not her own injuries that caused Copree to move slowly forward, it was the wounds of the two whim accompanied her travels and were presently placed behind her.

Occasionally she would slow further and pause, as if needing to rest. In truth this was giving the more seriously wounded of the two young males behind her time to rest without bruising any pride. If it was one thing the family had never been in short supply of, that was pride. She paused now, sitting lightly and glancing over at the dusky strawberry figure limping up, and behind him guarding the rear....a old soul in a young body. yes. It was still freaking odd to see her father like this. But then again, it must be a little weird for her father to see her looking as she did.

While he was not quite as 'ticked' as Copree the male who followed immediately behind her was also far, far from pleased. And faintly...sympathetic...to his relative. Venom at least knew that Ramona and the cubs had escaped and were, presumably alive someplace. But his 'guide/healer/aunt' had no such comfort, even tentative comfort was better than none. The thought caused his ears to flick back against and into dark waves of hair, slowing to a limping stop as her own steps paused and she sat to presumably rest. He was impatient, wanting to continue the search for Ramona and spawn as quickly as possible despite his own pain.

However he would not deny his Aunt a chance to rest (and had no idea she was faking for his benefit). And so took a deep breath and plopped his own wounded aft down to the ground with a soft grumbling rumble. Jeweled eyes scanned the thick mist. What fresh hell was this. His brow furrowed. It would be hard to hunt here....they should move on as soon as possible.

As far as moods went Reti was not quite as angry as Copree, nor was he quite as worried up and rushed as Venom. What Retnuh was, is unamused. There was some concern certainly as in the chaos he had lost track of whom was with whom and how many escaped safely. Retnuh had stayed behind a bit to cover the rear of those leaving. Resulting in some inevitable injuries of course. He had taken a couple down with experience alone, however his still developing body was an unfortunate handicap. Copree had located him a short ways outside the abandoned lands, and they had located Venom not long after. What followed was a slow track with time for healing between. Only to now find themselves lost in a lovely mess of mist. Still there were ways to see without the eyes. As they paused Reti scented the damp air, catching wind of something farmilar his eyes brighten slightly as he loudly chuff-calls for Hanneth.

@Hanneth

Many of her young were missing, her husband was missing, her friends were missing and Hanneth couldn't do much but hope. Hope they would make it. Hope they would find their way here. She had tucked herself away from the others and tried to feel if the spirits here would be able to give her any more guidance, something she could use to help those that she was with to find a home. Things here were still, quiet, peaceful. Something she had forgotten could even happen after the chaos that her life fell into. She sighed softly as she heard nothing and was about to head back to the group when her ears caught a faint sound. They twisted and turned trying to find it as it tugged at her heart. She turned and started moving toward it, still not able to clearly place it for a few more paces and then. It hit her and her whole body sprung forward as she ran full speed to find him. Reti. Her voice called back to her son as she raced across the sands her mismatched eyes looking as her ears stay locked on his sound until finally, she spots him. A quick look around tells her that he isn't alone but that Dero isn't among the group. Copree and Vemon are. Her heart lifted seeing the three of them but her focus quickly shifted back to Reti as she headed straight for him and aimed to wrap him in a hug, unaware of any wounds. She had one of her boys back and she needed to make sure he was real. That he was here. She buried her head into his growing mane and a loud but broken purr filled the air as she tried to hold back the rush of emotions that was swelling in her heart.

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Reti caught the inquisitive glance from Copree as he began calling, and the confused and startled 'wtf' head turn and tilt from Venom and continued to call for a second or two longer. 'Be patient, I will explain.' he thought while sounding out. Or if they were lucky his actions would be explained without him having to say a word.

And it seemed luck was -finally- on the side of the trio regarding something. His call ended, left to echo out into silence and mist ad the sound of approaching pawsteps reached his ears over the noise of his own reverberating chuffs. Head snapped down, eyes burning and alert as the imaged he had hoped to see emerged from the fog.

There is time to brace himself, but not warn her. So just before impact he sucked air in and clenched his jaws for a moment, forcing silence as she wrapped him in a hug and burried her head in his mane. HIs thoughts snap instantly to...'I hope she can't smell the blood from the neck wounds'. They had been cleaned up sure, but that close? Healing wounds had a certain smell.

Reti let out his breath slowly, controlled, and lifted one arm in an effort to wrap it around her with a slightly rough purr. "Hey mom." a slight happy laugh in the 'casual' words slipped into the exhaling breath. He was thrilled to see her too.

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The sudden sound from her father, who had been so quiet for some time now, was startling to say the least. Copree looked at him with some measure of understandable confusion and curiosity.

Instead of taking the moment to rest...which she knew he could use....Reti was standing and sending out 'contact calls'. Had he caught some sort of sign that she had missed? Copree's attention shifted to her surroundings searching for...something, some clue that had been missed.

She did not have to wait long. Out of the morning mist Hanneth came, the suddenness of it only causing her muscles to coil protectively for a moment before relaxing with recognition and relief. There was an urge to surge forward and brush up against Hanneth in greeting...but she restrained herself. Leaving the pair to their family moment.

It was enough to see her alive. Enough to cause the breath to hitch in her chest, enough to allow relief to cause a wave of exhaustion to spill over her frame. It was more than enough to warm her heart.
".....".

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Venom was pleased for the opertunity to sit of course. And annoyed. Anoyed because he wanted to be up and moving forward already. But his dogged line of thought is derailed for a short time at least as the young black and bronze male suddenly begins calling.

Always a curious creature, even when wounded and worked up, Venom's head turns twoards the sound and tilts with bemusement. So far it had been nothing but silence and cold mist. So what...? Oh. OH! Jeweled eyes widened as a lioness he knew darted out of the fog and greeted the youth eagerly.

Venom was on his paws as quickly as his lurching motion would allow, moving forward twoards Hanneth with his pain forgotten for the moment...even if the sudden steps did steal some breath from his lungs. "HANNETH! Ramona, Kids, have seen them?".he asked just slightly breathlessly...loosing some eloquence in the moment due to his urge to KNOW. He was pleased she was alive of course, but...she was alive....and he had priorities! First Ramona and kids. then missing cousins.

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Through her joy of seeing him and feeling that he was indeed real, she could smell his wounds. He. Was. Hurt. The clear smell of the wounds and hearing that he still chose to call her mom cracked the dam in her heart and tears fell from her eyes as she stepped back, giving him a few gentle kisses on his cheek. I'm sorry Reti. Are you ok? Even though she could smell the wounds up close as her practiced eyes swept over him she knew that he would be ok, he would heal, he would make it. Thanks to Copree. She looked toward the lioness and took a stuttering breath and started to move toward her to give her a hug, to thank her, and to be with her again. Hanneth had missed her so much since she left all those months ago. She hadn't felt whole since she watched her walk away and now the bronze lioness felt even more unstable than she had in her whole life. She clung to the hope that with Copree, maybe she could find some sort of steadiness. Maybe. Before she could get to her Venom moved toward her and her focus turned to him. He was hurt to and it seemed to be more than Reti or at least more than he was letting on. What the hell had happened to them. Concern was written all over her features as she looked at the group. She looked back to Venom with a gentle smile, They are with my group. Venom... Her voice paused as she tried to decide how much to tell him and as she tried to push down a tingle of jealousy that Romona was getting her mate back. She was blinded. I think her sight will be able to come back now that we are here but I wasn't able to do very much for it while we were moving here so I am not sure.

Hanneth needed to help them all but she didn't know where to start. She was just starting to learn the lands and had very limited knowledge of where anything was and most of what she had found had gone right to those who were hurt. She was struggling, she was breaking, she was grieving the unknown. The unknown with Dero and far too many of her young. She pulled her gaze off Venom, leaving him to adjust to the news, and moved to Copree. She was gentler with her than she had been with Reti as she moved to press the top of her head into the space between her shoulder and neck and take a moment to feel her warmth and know that she was back. Thank you. It was a whisper but she hoped that Copree heard it and knew what it all meant.

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A soft swift breath was sucked in as she witnessed the hug between 'mother' and 'son' knowing for a fact that her 'father' had healing wounds that certainly would have protested the contact. But nothing was said twoards the fact as it was obvious Reti welcomed the contact discomfort not withstanding.

When Venom shot forward Copree sighed softly knowing that HIS injuries should not be aggravated with sharp swift motion, but she also knew lecturing him would fall on deaf ears so to speak and scolding after the fact would do no good regardless.

At least the news Hanneth had for Venom was good, and this might, she hoped, cause him to calm down and settle a little. Than again, while his mate being alive was indeed wonderful news the information that she was blinded was likely to inspire no small amount of upset. Not that she blamed the gothic rose hued lion for being restless and upset - family was everything.

Hanneth moved twoards her then earning a softening of the little smile already on charcoal lips. A gentle, sympathetic, understanding and loving expression. Her frame shifts slightly, weight redistributing so it was possible to shift twoards the bronze female just a little while maintaining balance, and press the side of her neck slightly into the crown that touched the black curve of her flesh. Head tipping twoards Hanneth as a rolling soft rumble of a purr vibrated her frame and sought to act like a verbal 'hug' of sorts.

The 'thank you' rang in her ears, and Copree's smile grew just a little more, eyes sliding shut for a moment. Thanks was not needed....they were her family too. But of course, even if they had not been Copree would have taken care of strangers if she knew they were important to Hanneth. Her purr deepened slightly in acknowledgment of the thankyou - even if it was not necessary. "I'm staying." she murmured softly, reassuringly for Hanneth's ears only. This time....she would not be going anywhere. Here to support. Here to protect. Copree would not be leaving again - not even over her dead body, as history had proven.

@Hanneth

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He could smell the salt of her tears first something that caused his eyes to widen slightly before brow would lower just a hair and wrinkle as lips drew slightly tighter for a moment before his features smoothed and softened again.

"No. Mom. It's alright. Really. Barely worth noticing." he had always had a hell of a pain threshold after all. A reassuring smile is flashed, slightly 'cocky' in its playfulness added to a jaunting little tilt of his crown for what he hoped was extra assurance.

"I'll be fine. Heal up with hardly a scratch I am sure." well...hardly a 'noticeable' scratch anyhow as his mane thickening would hide the worst of them. "Probably should not tackle any elephants for a while however..." his gaze shifted for a few moments to Venom as the 'older' lion eagerly asked for information, and was given it ... although it was a mixed bag.

The news caused a subtle shift in his behavior... made his maw tighten for a moment and a faint displeased rumble issued faintly forth.

Toes flexing to press claws slightly into the soil, imagining something with slightly more give beneath them instead. Reti had gotten his 'pound' of flesh before having to flee...but there was so much more he had wanted to carve away.

More than just a pound or two...bodies and bodies, piles of them, severed heads to collect and keep until the bleached skulls could be neatly stacked in a nice ascetically pleasing tower around his den. Reti had never been one to 'leave well enough alone' and the fact those that had trespassed were currently out of his reach was galling to say the least.

He flexed his toes again, enjoying the satisfying feel of the attached tendons stretching as the half moons sank deeper into the earth. Watchful eyes followed his mother as she pressed her crown into the crook of Copree's neck and his brows lifted...just a hair. A smile faintly returning (those two really were close weren't they?) before fading again. "How is ... everyone?" a question he instinctively knew would be a loaded one, and probably not emotionally easy for his mother to answer. But a question that very much needed answered regardless. How many of his siblings had arrived, how many had not yet arrived? His father?

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